CAIRO: Striking workers have become almost commonplace in Egypt in recent months, with a number of sectors taking their frustration to the streets. The most recent group to enter into a public strike is the country's police force. Between 3,000 and 5,000 lower level police officers entered into an open-ended strike on Monday, demanding the government meet their demands or they would continue their sit-in indefinitely. The officers are demanding an increase in wages and the removal of former regime officials from the higher ranks. The group rallied in front of the Interior Ministry building in central Cairo, chanting for their rights. In rural areas outside the Egyptian capital, police stations and roads were closed as the protesting officers demanded to be heard. “We want to live a decent life and we demand an end to the former regime officers who are giving the police a bad name in the country,” said one protester to Bikyamasr.com. Overall, some 12,000 officers joined the strike out of a total of 350,000 police officers in Egypt. Since the January uprising that saw the removal of President Hosni Mubarak, Egypt's police have become a tipping point among average citizens, who claim they have returned to the streets en force, using their power to crackdown on people without recourse. “We want to end the bad name of the police and show Egyptians that we are here to protect and not make angry,” said Amr, a 34-year-old recently appointed officer in Cairo. The theme of the strike seems to be on par with those sentiments, with signs held reading “Good treatment equals better service.” Rights groups in the country have repeatedly called on the ministry to stop dragging its feet on reforms and have demanded the removal of all officers associated with the former regime and the January/February violence that left more than 850 Egyptians dead and thousands wounded in the uprising. Other groups in the country have also shown their desire to demand more rights and better pay. Most notably, factory workers, bus drivers and teachers across the country have striked, demanding their voices be heard as Egypt continues to struggle to meet the growing economic concerns and citizens' demands. BM
